Rotary water meter



(Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. H. NASH.

ROTARY WATER METER.

No. 280,220. Patented June 26, 1883.

(Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. H. NASH.

ROTARY WATER METER.

Patanted June 26, 1883.

a U W 1 Witnesses:

N, PETPLHS. Phombm m. Washinglum n C UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

LEwIs 1-1. NAsH, or BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METER con- PANY,on NEW rom; N. Y.

ROTARY WATER-M ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,220, dated June 26,1883.

' Application filed June 17, 1881. Renewed February 8, 1888.

I To all whom it may concern.-

iBe it known that I, LEwIs HALLOOK NAsH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of 5 New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Tater-Meters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

I have produced an improved water-meter constructed upon the plan of twocircular 1 I0 tary toothed pistons or wheels arranged for conjointoperation within a chamber, the wa ter passing within the spaces of theteeth bounded by the walls of the chamber at each I revolution of thepistons, the number of such I revolutions made being recorded by aregistering device connected with one of said pistons.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to produce a practicallysuccessful meter the pistons whereof are of circular toothed form andcommunicate their motion to the registering mechanism by intermediate 1)owerproducing gearing, whereby the friction of the packing-boX isremoved from direct influence upon the driving-piston or intermatch- 2 5ing wheels; second, to provide toothed pistons of circular form with thelongest intermatching teeth that will run smoothly and with the leastfriction; third, to prevent strain upon the piston-bearings by relievingthe direct impact of the entering water and causing it to follow thedirection of the motion of the pistons; fourth, to reduce the area offriction-surface at the ends of the pistons; fifth, to provide inlet andoutlet ports or passages at the ends of the chamber to co-operate withthe teeth at the junction of the pistons for the entrance and escape ofthe water of leakage between the teeth, and to render the toothedpistons light and uniform in their motions to effect a uniform flow ofthe water.

I11 the employment of pistons of circular form having long intermatchingteeth it is of primary importance that the direction of the pressure ofone tooth of one piston upon a 4 5 tooth of the other piston should'besuch as to give a single point of contact to the drivingtooth inapproaching and passing the center line of the pistons. The employmentof in termatching circular toothed pistons, with the driven gearingarranged between them and (Model.)

the packing-box, is important in isolating from the pistons theretarding effect of the friction of the packing-box.

Vhile it is an important matter of my improvement to increase thecapacity of the flow as well as the effective driving area of the teethby increasing their length, yet it is equally important that theadvantages be ob tained without increasing the friction of the teeth,and without lessening the effectiveness of the joint formed between therevolving pistons. A

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1. represents a sectionof a water-meter, showing the contact of the intermatching teeth of thepistons; Fig. 2, a section taken through the axis of the toothedpistons, and showing the intermediate relation of the driven gear withthe packing-box of the casing. Fig. 3 shows a section of the casing withthe pistons removed, and Fig. 4 a section through the line a: m ofFig. 1. I

Now, referring to Fig. 1, I obtain the longest teeth possible with theleast friction from the contact in the conjoint operation of the pis- 7tons by removing one face, 0, of each tooth of each piston from thepitch-line d, for the purpose of preventing the teeth from makingcontact except upon one side of the line of centers of the pistons. Thisremoval of the face of the tooth forms the bearingridge a, which is theonly point of contact of the intermatching pistons, such ridge contactof the teeth of one piston being made with the convex faces 0 of theteeth of the. other piston, the teeth of both pistons being alike andtheir bearing-ridges operating to make, the contact, so that there canbe no tendency to stick. It is this construction which effects thecontact of one tooth only of each piston on one side of 0 a line drawnthrough their centers, as shown in Fig. 1, and in (fiery position of thejoining teeth in approaching, crossing, and passing beyond said line.The joint of the pistons is thus maintained between two teeth until such5 contact is made between two other teeth. This construction, inconnection with inlet and escape ports at the joint-forming ends of thepistons, allows a free escape of waterleakage between the intermatchingteeth. In Fig.

1 this relation of the teeth is shown, in which the tooth D of thepiston D is shown as e11- tering the space 2 between the teeth of thepiston D so that the water from said space will flow out between thenon-acting surfaces of the teeth D and A, which, by the concave face 0of the tooth D and the convex face 0 and concave base (2 of tooth A,form such outflow-passage on the side of the pistons next the outlet ofthe case. tons next the inlet of the case the tooth B is shown asleaving the space 3 between the teeth of the piston D, and as the teethD and B are in contact B and E will be separated sufficient to allow thewater to fill the space '3, and thus give a free inlet and outletleakage between the pistons. To reduce the area of the bearing-surfaceat the ends of the pistons, as shown in Fig. 4.,"and thus reducefriction, the inner sides of the ends of the piston-chamber are formedwith diameter raised surfaces '5, Fig. 3, of sufficient area to maintaina close joint with the end of each piston. That part, i, of the raisedsurface e which crosses between the pistons is of a width only to act inunison with the teeth to make inlet and outlet ports or passages toallow a free escape of waterleakage, and prevent water choking betweenthe teeth. The relation of this narrow raised surface to the teeth isshown in Fig. 1, wherein it will be seen that upon the inlet side of thepistons the tooth E has passed the edge of said bearing, and an openingis made at each end of the piston D, to allow the watcr'to enter thespace 3 between said tooth and the next, thus filling the space, whileupon the outlet side the water can escape from between the teeth D andA, through an opening made at each end of the piston D", by the edge ofsaid bearing and the tooth A, which is moving toward said edge, untilthe tooth A closes said opening by passing upon the joint-formingsurface. The width of this raised surface to form the leakage-ports issuch as to allow the leakage to enter and escape between twointermatching teeth of each wheel as one tooth of each piston is leavingand approaching the opposite edges of said raised surface, and thuseffect the free inlet and escape of the water from between theteeth-spaces at the junction of the pistons, and avoid the objection ofwater choking between the teeth. The bearing-surfaces at both ends ofthe pistons are formed and operate in the same manner in relation to theteeth. The toothed pistons are mounted lo osely up on horizontalbearing-stems F, which are rigidly connected with the case G, and extendfrom one side thereof through the pistons, thereby causing them to runwith much less friction.

The inlet and outlet ports H and I are on opposite sides of the pistons,and opposite their intermatching teeth, so that the flow will be in thespaces between the teeth and the walls of the case G, as shown by thearrows in Fig. 1, in which the direction of the inlet and out- On theside of the pislet and the leakage flow are also indicated by arrows.

To prevent the impact of the inflowing water uponthe pistons attheirjunction, which would cause strain upon their bearings, the inletand outlet are enlarged or made flaring where they enter the meter-case,so .that'the water enters in a broad current and freely follows themotion of the pistons around between their teeth and the walls of thechamber. An equivalent construction would be two openings, each entering the case, so as to divide the inlet-pas sage and turn the waterin opposite directions uponthe pistons in the way of its outflow; butthe outlet need not necessarily be of the same construction as theinlet. Vere the driving piston connected directly through the packingboxwith the registering mechanism, there would be little value in therecord of measurement, because of the friction of the packing, which,especially in small meters, would render such function unreliable.

To isolate the driving-piston from the retarding effect of thepacking-box J of the case, I use intermediate geara simple arrangementof which is shown in Fig. 2 within a chamber, .K, outside of andcommunicating with that within which the pistons operate, such outsidechamber being formed by a division plate, L, separate from the case andsecured therein, so that its raised surface 1' forms a joint with theends of the pistons. The intermediate gear consists of a shortscrewste1n,f, passing through the division-plate L, and secured bybearingsone, in the end of the fixed bearing F, on which thedriving-piston turns, and the other, 1, is an arm, i, within the sidechamber. The screwstem f has a suit able coupling-connection, j, withthe end of said piston, and a worm, 7c, matching with a worm-gear, Z, ona short screw-stem, Z, which matches with a wormgear, Z on a rod, m,which is mounted in a bearing and extends through the packing-box J. Agear, 02, on the rod on outside said box connects with the registeringmechanism. Instead of the train-gear connection shown, a single gear maybe used, by which to transmit the power of the driving-piston.

\Vhile the adaptation of the pistons for running loosely'upon theirbearings and trans mitting their power by the worm-coupling gear, asdescribed, is preferable, yet the pistons may be fixed upon and revolvewith their I20 shafts, and the driven piston or its shaft suitablyconnected with the intermediate gear, which may be worm or spur gear.This arrangement of the power-producing gearing is not modified bypistons having any particular I form of teeth.

It is important that the toothed piston-wheels shall be as light aspossible, and I find hard rubber or artificial ivory to be the bestmaterials for the purpose, as they nearly float in water.

The case may be made with a cover, or in sections, and properly j oinedor covered to prevent leakage, and the inlet may be underneath and theoutflow at the top of the case, but in the same relation to the pistons.e

I have not shown the registering mechanism; but it will be understoodthat itis of the usual construction, and is connected with and operatedby the pinion it outside of the case.

I'have referred to the toothed piston D as the driver to distinguish itfrom the intermatching piston 1), because the former is directlyconnected with and drives the registering mechanism, and the relativerevolutions of the pistons are dependent upon their intermatching teeth,and not upon separate controlling-gearing. It is only in connection witha driver and a driven toothed piston having no connection with thepower-transmitting gear that I obtain a smooth rolling motion of thepistons and relieve one of them from the direct friction of thepower-transmitting gearing, and both from the direct friction of thestuffing-box.

I claim 1. The pistons of awater-meter, having their teeth formed with abearing-ridge, a, on one face, the opposite face, 6, being convex, thesaid ridge of a tooth of one piston having a 0011- joint co-operationwith the said convex face of a tooth of the other piston, to form ajoint between the intermatching teeth of the pistons on one side only ofa line drawn through their centers, and to reduce the friction of saidjointforming parts.

2. I11 combination, the pistons D and D the stuffing-box J, the powermultiplying and transmitting gear connecting with the piston D only, andthe outside driving-gear, n, for the registering mechanism, connectingby the shaft m with the said multiplying-gear, the said pistonsconnected only by their intermatching teeth, and the said shaft inhaving no directconnection with 'said piston D all substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specified.

3. Ina water-meter, intermatching toothed pistons of circular form,mounted loosely upon fixed bearings E, in combination with means forconnecting one of said pistons with powertransmitting gear arrangedbetween it andthe packing-box, through which said gear is connected withthe registering mechanism, outside of the meter-case, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, in a water-meter, of the intermatching toothedgeared pistons of circula'r form, mounted loosely'upon bearings F withinthe case, with a coupling-stein, f, loosely connected with one, D, ofsaid pistons, and power-transmitting gear arranged between said piston Dand the packing-box J of the case, substantially as described, for thepurpose specified.

, 5. The piston-chamber having its closed sides formed with the raisedsu1'face 'ii,crossing the ends of the pistons, of awidth lessthan theirdiameter, and decreasing inwidth across the path of the intermatchingteeth, whereby to reduce the bearing-surface of the ends of the pistons,and to allow of the free entrance and escape of the water from thespaces between the teeth in their passage over the narrow surface parti, substantially as described.

6. The water-meter herein described, consisting-of the case G, thetoothed pistons of circular form, having teeth each constructed with ajoint-forming ridge, a, power-transmit ting gear arranged between saidpistons and the packingbox J, the inlet constructed todivide the inflowinto the case in the direction of the motion of the pistons, and raisedjointforming surfaces for the ends of the pistons,

the said intermediate gear being connected with one of said pistons by acoup1ing-ste1n,f,

having a non-fixed relation to the piston-bearing, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination, in a water-meter, of pistons of circular form,having intermatching teeth constructed with bearing-ridges a, adapted toform a joint between the teeth of the pistons on one side only of a linedrawnthrough their centers, substantially as described, with aninclosing-case having raised surfaces extending diametrically across theends of the pistons, and having the relation to theirintermatching teethsubstantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LEXVIS H. NASH.

